The Ancient Magus’ Bride (also known as Mahoutsukai No Yome) is one of the dark fantasy manga and anime series that have made a name for themselves. It rose out of nowhere and definitely made a mark for itself and created its own place in the genre of fantasy.
As the manga has been here for around ten years and the animated adaptation for around seven years, there is quite a lot to explore in the series. With its plot that brings the classic English vibe, the series succeeds in creating a vibe for itself that combines history and fantasy. Even though it started as quite an underrated show, it definitely rose to a point where its hype went to an unexpectedly high level.
The series brings together characters and concepts that will leave you wondering and trying to find references to history and mythology. Its concept of two fantasy-based protagonists with their own struggles and sufferings is eye-catching. The presence of fantasy and folklore in the series makes it a must-watch for those who love to find such references. To spark curiosity in the series, here are some facts you must know about The Ancient Magus’ Bride.
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1. Kore Yamazaki is the mangaka
The manga of The Ancient Magus’ Bride is written and drawn by Kore Yamazaki. The Hokkaido born mangaka has also worked on the josei work Frau Faust. With four works under her belt, Kore Yamazaki received her initial major success with The Ancient Magus’ Bride.
Being a rising young manga artist from Hokkaido, Yamazaki sensei has mentioned in an interview that she is trying to make newer audiences familiar with her art. As her art style is new, she has expressed the need to develop familiarity between her art and the fans.
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2. Kore Yamazaki’s favorite mangaka is Tokuichi Minagi
Kore Yamazaki, the creator of The Ancient Magus’ Bride, was asked about her inspiration and influences in manga creation. She clearly said that the influences on her were the great mangakas who had been read by her.
When asked about her favorite mangaka of hers, she named Tokuichi Minagi as the one. Minagi sensei has had the experience of working on mangas of fantasy fiction chiefly. He had worked on manga series like Ashiaraiyashiki no Juunintachi as the original creator and Sakura Code in the story and art departments.
3. The anime OVA was released as a prequel to the show
The Ancient Magus’ Bride anime had a prequel before itself. Yes! There is a 3 episode OVA list to be cleared before one goes for the actual anime. Released in 2016 by Wit Studio, the OVA acted as a prequel to the show. The OVA series was titled The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Those Awaiting a Star.
Wit Studio also has a reputation for making a number of other renowned anime series as well. Attack on Titan, Spy X Family, Vinland Saga, and Ranking of Kings are the other anime series with Wit Studio behind them. Pokemon the Movie: The Power of Us has also been worked on by them. The Ancient Magus’ Bride OVA series was directed by Norihiro Naganuma.
4. Chise is sold as a slave
In the series, Chise Hatori is one of the protagonists. She is sold as a slave in a London auction. As she is orphaned and does not have a great amount of family support, this is one of the points where Chise expects to find a new place for herself. This is also where she is found by Elias Ainsworth.
Even though Elias Ainsworth is a humanoid, he wants to marry Chise and make her an apprentice as well. With time, the story around them develops into something romantic and incredibly loveable. It is due to this difference in them both and the evolution of their story that the characters have found a positive response among the followers of the series.
5. Chise is a Sleigh Beggy
Chise identifies herself as a Sleigh Beggy in the series. In the series, it is fascinating to learn that Sleigh Beggy is a rare kind of human that has the capability to store magical energy in vast amounts.
The only drawback is that it costs a Sleigh Beggy a decent amount of lifespan. This also attracts a lot of magical creatures around them. Interestingly, in the Celtic culture, Sleigh Beggy also describes a fairy.
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6. The reference behind Joseph, the antagonist
Joseph, practically the antagonist of the show, gets with the Cartaphilus spirit. Also known as The Wandering Jew, the folktale of Cartaphilus can be found in a legend related to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The tale is of a man who mocks Jesus as he goes for the crucifixion.
For this act of his, the man is cursed to wander all over the Earth as an immortal person. The legend’s spread is so vast that it can be found from the Americas to Asia. In the series, Joseph coming in contact with the Cartaphilus spirit also brings him immortality and suffering.
7. Elias does not understand emotions
Even though Elias Ainsworth is reputed as a person with a great brain to understand and use magic wisely, he cannot really understand how emotions work. A valid explanation for it can be the bit that Elias was born in the shadows.
Being a humanoid from the shadows, it can be expected that Elias’ emotional interpretation might not be up to the point where he understands humans really well. It can also be derived from the same factors that Elias cannot really control his emotions too well. He even takes his original form out of jealousy whenever Chise pays someone else more attention than him.
8. Elias is a fae
The magical powers of Elias should come as no surprise, as he is a fae. The fae is important magical creatures who can change their forms with the help of their magical powers and capabilities. Even though there is not much known about Elias and his origin, what we can figure out is the fact that the fae is capable of adapting to the changing environment.
It is their unusually powerful magic that makes them seem threatening or alarming. The idea of death is something that consistently goes with fae in general. So the negative aura is pretty self-explanatory. It is also a cultural belief that fae is actually invisible to those who have plain sight.
9. The Shakespeare link
The characters of Titania and Oberon in the show have quite a lot to do with the Bard of Avon. William Shakespeare wrote the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Featuring Titania and Oberon, the comedy classic is still read and enacted to this day. The Ancient Magus’ Bride ended up as no exception.
The rulers of the entire kingdom of the fae, the characters have a lot of similarities to the original play of Shakespeare. The natures of Oberon and Titania have a lot in the way they are mentioned in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While the secretly cautious nature of Oberon is shown in the show, the prideful side of Titania has striking similarities to what the play has.
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10. Elias has a soft heart for Chise
As both Chise and Elias have pains, it is easier and much better for one of them to understand the other. Even though the idea of Elias buying her from an auction might not have brought a lot of positive appeal at first, it is later that the soft side of Elias is revealed to her. He is willing to protect his apprentice and does get jealous when she pays more attention to someone else. This is where the idea of Chise as the love interest of Elias gets better.
11. Elias can extend the lifespan of Chise
Chise, being a Sleigh Beggy, does not have a lot of chances of leading a long life due to her magic-containing capabilities. This is where Elias helps her as well. When he accepts her as his apprentice and intends to marry her, it gives Chise a chance to lead a longer life. Elias can help her with the shortening lifespan that poses problems to her. His being great with magic and his soft nature towards Chise are what support it.
12. Chise has her own familiar
Chise Hatori has her own familiar! The concept of familiarity revolves around the idea of a spirit that protects an individual. Named Ruth, the familiar takes the form of a dog. Ruth is a Church Grim.
A Church Grim is a black dog that protects the premises from grave robbers. It resides near the church. Ruth has a bond with Chise that he feels in his mind. Even though he considers himself a human at first, Ruth reconnects with his identity as a Church Grim.
13. The Ancient Magus’ Bride has multiple achievements
The Ancient Magus’ Bride has quite a number of achievements to talk about. In 2014, in the magazine Da Vinci, the readers ranked the series in second place for series most expected to have a breakthrough in 2015.
Even in the prestigious Manga Taisho Awards of 2015, the manga secured a nomination for itself. For a young and coming artist like Kore Yamazaki, it was definitely a huge achievement and must be looked at that way.
14. Junichi Matsumoto was the face of the anime’s music
It was Junichi Matsumoto of the band Mattoku who became an integral part of The Ancient Magus’ Bride anime series. Since the very beginning till date, there have been two seasons of the anime along with two series of OVA episodes.
In almost all the parts of the animated adaptation of the series, Junichi Matsumoto’s presence has been consistent. Matsumoto has also worked on the anime series Plunderer and movies like Like Father, Like Son, and many more.
15. The landlady is a former banshee
The Silver Lady is shown as the landlady of the house of Elias and Chise. What is interesting about her is that she has been a banshee earlier. In folklore, a banshee is infamous for her horrible wails and is often related to the concepts of death, grief, and negativity. Oft is shown as a very quiet person; she is also the last member of her clan. Her identity becomes that of Silky when she starts looking after the home of Chise and Elias.
16. The childhood fascination factor
As The Ancient Magus’ Bride has a great mix of fantasy and history with several cultural references, it has a very interesting vibe to it. The reason behind the show’s old setting is the mangaka’s childhood love for fantasy and England.
As said by Kore Yamazaki herself, she enjoyed reading works of fantasy revolving around fairies. She also said that England was one place that she was very close to. It was this childhood fascination with both elements that got combined and brought us to the series that we are talking about.
17. The series is filled with multiple fantasy references
The entire series has references to fantasy creatures and concepts. There are plenty of references that one can find in the show that originally lived in European folklore. Even the protagonists of the show, Chise Hatori and Elias Ainsworth themselves, have the cultural references of Sleigh Beggy from the Celtic culture and ‘fae’ from multiple cultures(including English, Celtic, Germanic, and French) folk cultures.
Even the concept of Spriggan in the series is derived from the Cornish folklore. The idea of guardians of treasures is what sprouted the idea of Spriggan. Even the idea of Ruth being the Church Grim can be traced back to the folk culture of the English people and the Nordic people as well.
Even The Silver Lady, a banshee, is a folk reference that originally belongs to the Irish culture. Redcurrant herself is someone borrowed from the Irish culture. She is originally a fairy who is told of in the culture as a lifespan-shortening and attractive one.
Now that we have these many facts about the manga and the show clear, it must be confirmed that the series is definitely one of those that the viewers should look out for. The amalgamation of the concepts and ideas is what makes the series really interesting.
There is definitely a lot to look out for in this series, as the manga and anime contain a lot of content that might be new to you. But one thing we will surely have to be clear about is- when talking about dark and history-based fantasies, The Ancient Magus’ Bride will have to be counted for sure.
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